Bronchitis in dogs: causes, stages, symptoms, treatments

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Bronchitis is one of the most common diseases in dogs. The disease itself is not fatal, but it can cause serious complications (such as pneumonia and asthma). Consider the causes of bronchitis in dogs, symptoms, varieties, methods of treatment and prevention.

General information

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial mucosa. This disease is widespread not only among people, but often overcomes domestic animals. The bronchi are involved in the process of gas exchange in the body. They carry oxygen from the trachea to the alveoli. Bronchitis occurs as a result of prolonged exposure to airway irritants: bacteria, smoke, dust, moisture. When inflammation of the bronchi occurs, mucus begins to be produced, which interferes with the passage of oxygen, which causes the animal to cough. Because of the cough, the mucous membrane becomes even more inflamed, more mucus is produced, so the cough does not stop.

Varieties

Due to the occurrence of bronchitis happens:

• primary;
• secondary (if bronchitis was the result of another disease).

By type of bronchial involvement:

• microbronchitis;
• macrobronchitis;
• diffuse pneumonia.

By discharge type:

• purulent;
• fibrinous;
• catarrhal;
• rotten;
• hemorrhagic.

According to the speed of flow, bronchitis can be acute and chronic. Acute bronchitis occurs abruptly and lasts 2-3 weeks, most often appears as a result of infection with viruses. If it is not cured, then it becomes chronic, which is practically incurable.

Chronic bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis most often occurs as a result of incompletely cured diseases of the bronchi and lungs, although it can develop due to constant exposure to irritants. During its course there are periods of remission and exacerbation. If left untreated, the he alth of the animal is constantly deteriorating.

Chronic bronchitis in dogs can present in two forms:

1. Simple. The dog has a dry cough or cough with sputum, ventilation of the lungs is not impaired.
2. Obstructive. The dog has wheezing in the lungs, there is shortness of breath. There is a serious violation of ventilation of the lungs.

Usually, owners are in no hurry to see a doctor, as the first symptoms of chronic bronchitis in a dog may seem insignificant. In the acute form, the animal's well-being changes dramatically, so the dog almost immediately gets tospecialist. The chronic form develops over time, while the mucosa expands, and the bronchi narrow. A simple form of bronchitis becomes more severe - obstructive.

Reasons for appearance

Let's highlight the main causes of bronchitis:

1. Hypothermia. Walking in cold rainy weather can lead to a cold, which often turns into bronchitis. Dangerous for the dog: swimming in cold water, insufficiently dried hair after bathing, long winter walks. Short-haired dog breeds are particularly susceptible to bronchitis.
2. Bad containment conditions. You need to keep the dog in a warm, dry place where there are no drafts. The animal must not sleep on bare ground or floor.
3. Incorrect feeding. The immunity of an animal directly depends on the balance and quality of the food it consumes. Lack or excess of certain components leads to malfunctions in the body.
4. The presence of a large amount of dust, gases, tobacco smoke, toxic fumes in the air.
5. Allergic reaction. Allergens can be individual components of food, plant pollen, dust. Allergy causes the development of inflammatory processes in the respiratory tract.
6. Infections.
7. Congenital and acquired respiratory pathologies.
8. Infection with worms. Worms can affect not only the digestive organs, but in advanced cases migrate to the respiratory organs. These parasites cause bronchial inflammation.
9. Stress.
10. Weakness of the body due to other diseases.
11. Age. Puppies and older dogs are most susceptible to disease.

Symptoms

Let's highlight the main symptoms of bronchitis in a dog:

1. The main symptom of bronchitis is a cough. The first few days it can be dry and painful, after it becomes wet. The animal begins to cough up phlegm.
2. Wheezing in the lungs.
3. Lower appetite, refusal to eat.
4. Lethargy and apathy, lack of desire to walk on the street.
5. Difficulty breathing and shortness of breath.
6. Gum, tongue, mucous membrane of the eyes become pale or bluish due to oxygen starvation.
7. Nose discharge.
8. Cough with vomiting.
9. Sometimes there may be an increase in body temperature.

When bronchitis occurs in an animal during the day and at night there are bouts of severe coughing. Cough also appears as a result of physical exertion, stress or pressure on the trachea. With bronchitis, the cough does not stop for a long time, while the condition of the animal worsens, the cough appears more often, and breathing becomes harder.

Diagnosis

How to identify bronchitis in a dog? Cough is a symptom not only of bronchitis, but also of many other diseases. Therefore, to diagnose it, you must definitely consult a doctor. To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor must take sputum, blood and urine of the dog for analysis.

When listening to the lungs, wheezing and gurgling may be heard. Palpationbronchi leads to a fit of coughing. An important part of diagnosing bronchitis is an x-ray of the animal's chest. Cough can be the result of tuberculosis, damage to the lungs by fragments of the ribs, infection with parasites and other pathologies. With bronchitis, the bronchial tree is clearly visible on the x-ray, which in the normal state is hardly noticeable.

Another way to diagnose bronchitis is bronchoalveolar lovage. With it, the bronchi and lungs of the animal are washed with a special solution, which helps to determine the amount of mucus in the bronchi, to highlight third-party, foreign bodies and infections.

During bronchoscopy, a special probe with a small camera at the end is inserted into the bronchi through the animal's mouth. Thanks to this study, you can visually assess the condition of the bronchial mucosa. It depends on the accuracy of diagnosis how to treat bronchitis in a dog.

Treatment

Often bronchitis does not require inpatient treatment. A sick animal must be provided with rest and a complete diet. Walking in damp cold weather should be avoided. A warm vest can be worn on the animal.

Methods of treating bronchitis in dogs depend on the causes of its occurrence and the severity of the condition of the animal. Often, the animal is prescribed expectorant drugs - Lazolvan, Bromhexin, Ambroxol. With nasal discharge, drops are prescribed. If the cause of bronchitis was infection with parasites, the animal is prescribed anthelmintic drugs. For allergies, the dog is prescribed antihistamines. Housesphysiotherapy can be done. It is necessary to massage the sternum of the animal. You can also inhale with warm steam.

If the disease is severe, the doctor may decide to use antibiotics. The course usually lasts 7-10 days. In this case, the dog is given drugs that support the functioning of the liver and other internal organs.

Diet

During illness, the dog should be given warm food. The food should be fortified with vitamins and minerals, properly balanced and include all the necessary amino acids. Fatty foods should be avoided. It is dangerous at such a moment and overeating. The dog should be fed more often, but in smaller portions. Bronchitis is especially difficult for obese animals, therefore, at the time of illness, it is necessary to strictly monitor the number of calories consumed by the animal.

Forecast

With timely assistance, acute bronchitis can be cured completely. In this case, the prognosis for the animal is positive.

Treatment of chronic bronchitis in a dog is much more difficult, since often irreversible changes have already begun in the body at the time of going to the doctor. Treatment can stop the deterioration of the animal's condition and further pathogenic changes in the internal organs. However, most often with chronic bronchitis, the animal still continues to periodically cough. At such times, cough medicine should be given. A sick animal must be constantly monitored and, in case of an exacerbation of the disease, show the doctor in time.

Bronchitis is not a fatal disease, it rarely leads to severeirreversible consequences for the body. But that doesn't mean it can be ignored.

Prevention

The key to good dog he alth is good nutrition and the right conditions for keeping the animal. The dog's diet should be well balanced. Natural food should include meat, vegetables and grains. When buying ready-made feeds, preference should be given to well-known companies that are advised by veterinarians and breeders.

A dog should not be kept in a dusty, gassed place. If the animal is kept in an apartment, you need to do wet cleaning often. Do not smoke in the room where the dog is. The animal constantly needs to be walked outside, but for this it is necessary to choose the right weather, because for short-haired breeds, long winter walks can end with a cold. In the cold season, the dog can wear special clothes and shoes.

There are vaccines for certain infections that can cause bronchitis. They need to prick a puppy at the age of 2-4 weeks. After the vaccine must be administered every year. Do not let your puppy go outside before vaccinations are done. Periodically, the dog needs to be given anthelmintic drugs. At least once a year, the dog should be brought to the veterinarian for preventive examinations. At the same time, the owner must monitor the he alth of his pet. If your dog coughs frequently, this is a good reason to see a doctor.

Thus, bronchitis in dogs is quite common. This is not a very dangerous disease, but in the absence of proper treatment, itcan seriously complicate the life of a pet. If the dog coughs frequently, it should be taken to the veterinarian immediately.